The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-08
BREAKING sRoNcos.
The Fun Which Some OF BIddeford's S
New horsemen are Having.
[Blddeiord Times.l

II
About thirty-two Of the wild Texas horses
were sold during the McCafferty Brothers
visit in Biddeford aud many of them went
into hands Of owners who never before
owned anything in the shape Of horse-fesh.
Many funny fracas has been witnessed In
the city since the horses changed ownership
and the probability Is that there IS lots Of
fun ahead
The scene at the tr0tting park Saturday
afternoon after the auction sale was as en-
tertaining as circus. Each horse as soon
as sold was let out into the open park and
his new owner given a slip Of paper as re-
ceipt for his purchase. About A o'clock the
auctioneer got down from his carriage, the
cowboys drove the unsold animals back 10
the pasture and then the horses which had
been disposed Of during the auction were All
driven within the enclosure. Here the fun
commenced in earnest. A big, fat farmer
was one OF the first TO present his little check
ana claim his property. His was a chestnut
horse and one OF the widest In the herd.
The cowboys lassoed the animal, threw
MIN, put on strong halter with
TWO stout ropes attached and then
gave the animal his freedom. The
farmer lson, a boy who weighed In the
nelghborh00d of two hundred pounds, took
hold Of one rope and his sire the other. The
bars were let down and out went the Texas
pony like streak Of lightning with the two
men dangling at the ends Of the ropes like
sticks on the tail Of kite. Bronco kept up
q 2-l0 gait until he got half way across the
field and then he stopped short. 1t was for
tunate Tor the men on the roDe that he did
stop, for they were about wInded, and be-
sides, It was about 125 degrees there in the
uncomfortable. To all appearances the
horse had done all the running he proposed
TO do, and he settled down on his launches
to await further developments. The farmers
tugged at the rope, but 1t was Of no use,
they could not stir him peg. In a few
minutes the horse changed his tactics This
time he managed to get ~hls feet
tangled In the ropes and he sfek his
heels fly right and left. Suddenly> -.
got his feet clean from the rope and started
down the race track at rapid rate. 1t was
fully half an hour before the horse could be
got outside the entrance gate, and then, when
ne got into the street. he made more trouble
Tor his owner and all the more fun for the
crowd; II Is safe to say that darkness over
grimed farmers before they got Bronco safe.
~ housed in their stable.
The other horses were delivered to their
owners IN similar manner and each had a
diiferent but equally laughable frgoas with
his new driver. 1t was half-past six o'clock
before the last horse led bis owner from the
grounds. One young man who paid $50 for
his purchase had decidedly poor luck He
got as far as the main road with his wild
Texan, (which the horse slipped the halter
and made dash for liberty. lie got into the
kennebunk woods, and has never since been
seen.
some Of the buyers have made rapid
progress with their horses and are now able
TO ride in the saddle without fear Of dlslO-
eating shoulder or breaking an arm
while others who lack patience and pluck
are as afraid Of their horses as they were
the day the purchase was made. Marshall
Iatro, the sewing machine agent, astOnished
everybody on Monday by saddling and rid
ing his pony about town. On the same day
he went up 10 the pasture where the herd
was kept and purchased the black horse
which Arthur Verrill bid In on the opening
OF the auction sale. The animal Is a hand
some one and will make a spedy driver.
Mr.. Trat0 has his two horses so tame that
they viii follow him about the yard, Will
eat from his hand, and will allow him to
groom them. lie began by petting them
kindly and keeping them in a quiet place.
Then he put sugar In their mouths and
taught them TO eat it from his hands. This
accomplished, he found but little difficulty
IN putting on the saddle and riding them. 4
little Kindness goes long way with horse,
even II he was raised in the wilds Of Texas.